title: Synthesis and characterization of gold cubic nanoshells using water-soluble GeO₂templates.
abstract: Size-tunable GeO₂ nanocubes were initially prepared by a modified sono-assisted reverse micelle method and then functionalized with an amino-terminated silanizing agent. Subsequently, gold decorated GeO₂ nanocomposites were prepared at pH ≈ 7 and 80 °C. It was found that well-dispersed gold nanoparticles on GeO₂ nanocubes could be obtained only if gold salt is abundant to favor simultaneous, homogeneous nucleation of gold particles. Additional gold ions were reduced onto these attached 'seed' particles accompanied by synchronous dissolution of water-soluble GeO₂ cores, resulting in gold hollow cubic shells. The GeO₂ nanocubes and Au/GeO₂ nanocomposites as well as gold hollow cubic shells were characterized by transmission electron microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, x-ray diffraction and UV-visible spectroscopy. In particular, gold hollow cubic shells feature a plasmon resonance peak at above 900 nm, which renders it quite promising in biochemical applications.
authors.affiliation: International Center for New-Structured Materials, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Cen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Peisong
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.forename: Mingyuan
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ge
authors.forename: Xiaobin
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Feng
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Cao
authors.forename: J Z
authors.initials: JZ
authors.lastname: Jiang
mesh_terms: D005857:Germanium / Q000737:chemistry*; D006046:Gold / Q000737:chemistry*; D017612:Gold Compounds / Q000737:chemistry; D017953:Isocyanates / Q000737:chemistry; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D046529:Microscopy, Electron, Transmission; D053761:Nanocomposites / Q000737:chemistry; D057145:Nanoshells / Q000737:chemistry*; D010316:Particle Size; D012821:Silanes / Q000737:chemistry; D012995:Solubility; D013052:Spectrometry, X-Ray Emission; D013053:Spectrophotometry; D020349:Surface Plasmon Resonance; D014867:Water / Q000737:chemistry*; D014961:X-Ray Diffraction
chemical_list: C514436:3-isocyanatopropyl trimethoxysilane; D017612:Gold Compounds; D017953:Isocyanates; D012821:Silanes; D005857:Germanium; D014867:Water; C038016:gold chloride; C040516:germanium oxide; D006046:Gold